Chapter 9: Allan

Alan Wright found himself alone in the hallway, the voices of the previous fight echoing through the walls. The smile he had on his face since earlier didn't change at all, refusing to leave his lips, the spectacle he just witnessed wouldn't let him.

Bursting out like that and accusing such an important figure as the daughter of the duke was not something that ever crossed his mind. Everybody knew about Duke Everglow's reputation and that he would never let something like that go unpunished

The ties between the Everglows and Martels were already strained after the death of Markus' uncle and there weren't signs of remediation. Thinking about that, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the next one to be cursed would be this hot bloated dimwit.

Without lingering any more, Allan left the place, his legs taking him quickly to the garden outside the little castle where a certain lady promised to meet him later. He still had enough time seeing as the day's lessons were interrupted, but the warm late summer weather was tempting enough to go outside earlier. Autumn was right around the corner and the days started to become shorter and shorter and soon the cold windy days would arrive.

Allan didn't enjoy those days and preferred the warmth of his own land further in the south right before the High Coast where the windy cliffs could make even the warmest day chilly. There, in the capital, although the days were longer in the summer, they were also colder as it resides in the centre of the kingdom, much more in the north than his home.

No, the place where he grew up was sunny and warm all year round and fresh fruits and sweet wines were plenty as were the women.The girls there weren't as shy as those in the capital and much less even than the ones in the north.They wore thin dresses that showed well the curves of bodies and, on really hot days, they knitted their skirts above the knee to go and play in the rivers.

The warmth made them like that, sensual, bold and decided. In the same way the cold made Lady Cecilia and her peers shy, naive and unknowing about the pleasures of the opposite sex.

When he stepped outside the sun shone bright on his golden hair and heated his entire being and he was immediately struck by the sweet, heady fragrance of the blooming flowers. The air was filled with the delicate scent of roses, their petals soft and velvety to the touch. The lavender bushes release a calming aroma, and the mint plants give off a refreshing, cool scent. The scent of jasmine is almost overwhelming, intoxicating Allan with its heavy, exotic perfume. The freshly cut grass adds a sharp, earthy note to the bouquet of fragrances.

As he walked, he inhaled deeply, savouring each distinct scent that wafted past him on the gentle breeze. The combination of floral and herbal fragrances was a sensory delight, relaxing and making him attuned to the natural world around him.

That was it, the pleasure provided by those sunrays was exquisite. And soon a Lady Aria would be coming in the garden and he'd take her on a walk away from curious eyes.

The night before at the ball she had been very pretty, enough for him to ask her to a dance. Her cheeks turned deep red and the colour spreaded to her ears and neck, sliding down on her decolletage making him wonder where it stopped.

He could still remember her words spoken shyly. "It would be my pleasure, my lord, if your grace is content with med."

"Why wouldn't I be, my lady. Since I have entered the room, my eyes were drawn to you by your beauty and I knew I would hate myself later if I'd be a coward and not ask for a dance."

He could almost see her fall in love with him at that point and by the end of the night she was head over heels with him, listening to every little lie he told her. That came naturally for him, telling what the listener wanted in order to get what he wanted in return.

Although, what he really wanted last night wasn't Lady Aria, not even Lady Cecilia who was like a goddess making everyone pale in comparison. No, it wasn't her either. It was the young Lady Ivalyn who shocked him from the moment they had met for the first time, at their first lessons about the egg.

If Allan was to compare the two ladies who were now his colleagues in their daily lessons only based on looks, Lady Cecilia would clearly win. Never had he ever seen such warm and clear blue eyes, such a perfect face and petite feminine body. She was like a dream come true.

That could not be said about Lady Ivalyn simply because, at first glance, her beauty pales in comparison. Yet, as soon as she moves or speaks, only a bat of her eyelashes or the faintest sound would be enough to make one unable to resist her charm. And the way she moves made him want to approach her so bad, especially last night.

Markus might be a dimwit but even he wasn't able to resist her. Who could blame him though, her dress was indeed sensual. It wasn't the most revealing by far, but the way it embraced her body and the way it fluttered with her every move probably made the poor lord drool in a corner.

Allan wanted to take a closer look and maybe more than that, to try to gaze closer in her deep eyes and, hopefully, by the end of the night he could had had a chance to clench his hand in her strawberry blonde hair, messing it up. All that while he would have tasted her rosy soft lips.

That was the thing with Lady Ivalyn, she pulled him in and she was sure she wouldn't let gor once she had someone she wanted. Not that Allan would mind that, being caught by her. It would be unusual as he is the one who usually hunts but in that case he wouldn't mind being her prey.

Unfortunately, that chance never came at the ball because the lady disappeared shortly after the king made his speech and he didn't see her the rest of the night. He still had a catch after, but not really the prize.

His line of thoughts were interrupted by the sigh of the High Chancellor hurrying in the opposite direction than the prince's wing. The old man's eyes frowned deeply in a way that showed more displeasure than worry.

Wondering if the news of Prince Magnus being cursed was a bad prank played by him, Allan wanted to pursue his earlier plan. Yet something in the man's expression and his haste made him decide otherwise.

So he turned on his heels and followed back inside the castle.